Gyeongju: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, have expressed their intention to deepen trilateral cooperation to foster reliable economic leadership in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
According to Kuwait News Agency, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated that Secretary Rubio met with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Gyeongju. The meeting underscored that enhanced trilateral cooperation is crucial for advancing trusted economic leadership in the Indo-Pacific region, benefiting shared economic well-being and promoting safety, security, and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the joint statement from the trilateral meeting of the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea held on September 22. They also discussed bilateral deliverables from the US President's visit to Japan and the Republic of Korea, including initiatives on emerging technologies and critical minerals supply chain resilience.
Additionally, they acknowledged recent progress in trilateral coordination and reiterated their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.
Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Motegi also congratulated Foreign Minister Cho and the Republic of Korea on a successful APEC host year, pledging to maintain close coordination during China's APEC 2026 host year.